Women's Clothing Boutique Near Me James Island, SC

About 24 acres of undeveloped land along the Stono River on James Island will be protected thanks to a partnership between the Open Space Institute and the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission.

OSI purchased the property, located at the end of Bradham Road, for $1.5 million using a mixture of local, state and federal funds. The deal was set to close Dec. 20.

A limited-liability corporation agreed to sell the tract to OSI for well below market value. The property — appraised north of $4 million — likely would’ve been used to build single-family homes, OSI Senior Land Project Manager Patrick Moore said.

The tract, long and skinny like a piano key, is one of many that make up western James Island. Much of this side of the island remains relatively intact, especially along the waterfront.

“When the little (tracts) like this come up, they’re important because there is a bigger picture for them to plug into,” Moore said. “They’re not just one-offs.”

A pond that’s home to redfish and blue crabs stretches almost the entire length of the 24 acres. A path roughly carved through the center provides ample space for trails, and easy public access to the Stono River. The end of the piano key provides stunning marsh views.

And anyone visiting the nearby James Island County Park will be able to quickly access the new park via a sidewalk along Riverland Drive to Bradham Road.

The Terrabrook neighborhood sits between the two parks. Residents have been supportive of the project, Moore said. So have people in the Cross Cut, a historic settlement community around Central Park and Fleming roads.

The tri-county library systems are working to help improve literacy levels for children before they start kindergarten.

The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program started in the Lowcountry in 2021 and was adopted based on other United Way programs around the country, according to Devon Wade, content and communications manager at Trident United Way.

A partnership between Trident United Way, Charleston County Public Library, Berkeley County Library System and Dorchester County Library, the program was started to address early childhood literacy skills from birth to kindergarten, Wade said. The program is run mostly by the library systems, with support from Trident United Way.

Cassie Welch, children’s system coordinator at Charleston County Public Library, oversees the program for the organization. Her role is to promote the program to all library patrons and the Charleston County community.

She said the program has shown to improve school readiness and prepare children for kindergarten by helping them learn vocabulary, social and emotional skills.

Welch added that it also helps kids bond with their parents and build a strong relationship.

“One little boy just recently completed the program,” Welch said. “They would check out a wagon full of books every time they would come to the library to participate in our 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program.”

Over the summer, 82 percent of their registered readers signed up for the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, which is a little over 1,700 kids in the program, she said.

Children get rewards for different milestones, Welch said. Once a child logs 100 books, she gets a milestone sticker. Welch said other prizes include toys, chalk or bubbles. When a kid reaches 1,000 books, he gets a certificate that says he completed the program, as well as a tote bag and a free book to encourage more reading.

Welch said all branches of the county’s library system have reader walls of fame for the program, and the kids love to see their name displayed and watch as it moves up with different milestones.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - The residents of James Island are now seeing and hearing coyotes throughout their community following a rise in coyote interactions on Sullivans Island last month.

“Obviously, they’re here in our neighborhood, and we all need to be vigilant,” Lighthouse Point Neighborhood Association President Brook Lyon says.

Those who live in the Lighthouse Point community on James Island say they have recently seen and heard coyotes sometimes in broad daylight or in their backyards.

“I’ve had several reports over the last few weeks of people actually seeing the coyotes,” Lyon adds. “One last week was seen going across Schooner Road in broad daylight. Another photo was taken in the backyard of someone who has a chicken coop, and there’s live chickens there, which could be a potential food source for coyotes.”

Photos recorded on home security cameras show the coyotes on the island, concerning the community about their personal safety and their pets’ lives.

The Charleston County Sheriff’s Department says there is one reported incident with coyotes on James Island back in June.

Sullivans Island also reported five coyote attacks involving dogs in August, making the community on James Island even more worried.

“We are one town, one island, and we don’t want animals to start getting snatched or people getting attacked, like what has happened in other areas,” Lyon says.

Lyon and James Island Town Councilmember Troy Mullinax says they reached out to the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources and was told there was no program to help them with coyotes in the neighborhood.

“My next step is to contact Governor McMaster because it’s a natural resource issue, and at this time, the town does not have any wildlife management people,” Lyon says.

“DNR does not have anything in place,” Mullinax adds. “This is something we’re going to address at our upcoming meeting this Thursday, and just let people know that there’s something we’re working on.”

To keep the coyotes out of your neighborhood, they recommend not feeding the wildlife or keeping any potential food source outside for them to find.

If you run into a coyote, you’re advised to react loudly, throw small sticks or cans or spray the animal with water.

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources has not yet responded to a request for comment.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

JAMES ISLAND — Danielle didn’t recognize her human at first. But a few sniffs told the rescue dog it was Jenn Drummond in the sterile hospital bed.

The 34-year-old dog-lover hasn’t been home since June 21 when she was found in the middle of Woodland Shores Road just steps from her driveway. It is still unclear how she suffered blunt force trauma and a puncture wound to the back of her head that fractured her skull and several vertebrae.

On June 27, Drummond opened her eyes briefly for the first time, according to her uncle, Chris Drummond. Since then, she’s emerged from a coma but her cognitive functions remain limited. She has some movement in her arms but cannot yet speak.

Her family arranged with hospital staff to have one of Drummond’s beloved pups visit her on July 3. The spark of recognition between both Drummond and Danielle was another hopeful sign of progress, her family and friends shared at a press conference July 6.

A photo showed Danielle nestled on the hospital bed, her head resting on Drummond’s stomach. A friend is caring for Drummond’s fur babies while she’s in the hospital, and others have stepped in to help with the dog-walking business Drummond started four years ago. A GoFundMe page as raised more than $60,000 to help with her medical bills and recovery.

Doctors haven’t given the family a prognosis “other than it will be long,” Chris Drummond told members of the media.

While most of the family’s focus has been on Drummond’s recovery, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office is working to find out what happened to her.

The department released surveillance footage of three blurry vehicles that travelled along Woodland Shores Road on June 21 before Drummond was found in the roadway around 5:40 a.m.

The tri-county library systems are working to help improve literacy levels for children before they start kindergarten.

The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program started in the Lowcountry in 2021 and was adopted based on other United Way programs around the country, according to Devon Wade, content and communications manager at Trident United Way.

A partnership between Trident United Way, Charleston County Public Library, Berkeley County Library System and Dorchester County Library, the program was started to address early childhood literacy skills from birth to kindergarten, Wade said. The program is run mostly by the library systems, with support from Trident United Way.

Cassie Welch, children’s system coordinator at Charleston County Public Library, oversees the program for the organization. Her role is to promote the program to all library patrons and the Charleston County community.

She said the program has shown to improve school readiness and prepare children for kindergarten by helping them learn vocabulary, social and emotional skills.

Welch added that it also helps kids bond with their parents and build a strong relationship.

“One little boy just recently completed the program,” Welch said. “They would check out a wagon full of books every time they would come to the library to participate in our 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program.”

Over the summer, 82 percent of their registered readers signed up for the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, which is a little over 1,700 kids in the program, she said.

Children get rewards for different milestones, Welch said. Once a child logs 100 books, she gets a milestone sticker. Welch said other prizes include toys, chalk or bubbles. When a kid reaches 1,000 books, he gets a certificate that says he completed the program, as well as a tote bag and a free book to encourage more reading.

Welch said all branches of the county’s library system have reader walls of fame for the program, and the kids love to see their name displayed and watch as it moves up with different milestones.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD)- It has been 35 days since Jennifer Drummond was found severely injured along a James Island road.

Friends and family are still searching for answers in what is believed to be a hit-and-run.

The family, joined by their attorney, held a press conference Wednesday morning with new details they hope will bring them closer to finding the person responsible.

The Drumond family, fatigued, after over a month of not knowing exactly what happened to Jenn.

“We don’t sleep at night, wondering if someone texted with a lead,” Jenn’s uncle, Chris Drummond said.

However, they’re not letting up.

Drummond said, “You just can’t hit somebody in the roadway and drive off, and someone not know something.”

Searching everywhere they know of for answers to what is believed to be a hit-and-run.

In a press conference Wednesday morning, their attorney Scott Bischoff, gave new information on her movements that morning.

“Based on information on Jenn’s phone, her step count that was also connected to her apple watch, we believe that she left her house around 5:17 and her step count stops at 5:18, just before 5:19,” Bischoff said.

According to surveillance video there were three cars that drove down Woodland Shores Road around the time of the incident, but new video shows the car believed to be the one that hit Jenn.

“We believe the primary suspect vehicle is vehicle number 3, that appears to be a relatively modern SUV with a sunroof and 5 lights,” Bischoff said.

As far as Jenn’s condition, family members say she is making progress.

They say she got up and walked yesterday, but she’s still very slow to answer questions and there’s still a long way to go.

At this point they’re just doing whatever they can to bring justice to Jenn.

“On top of a really awful injury that she suffered, our mind is also thinking who did this, when will answers surface, will answers surface. It’s something that weighs on our mind constantly,” Jenn’s best friend, Audrey Marhoefer said.

There is a $10,000 reward for information about the incident of you have any information about this incident, call the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office.

JAMES ISLAND, S.C. (WCSC) - The James Island Public Service District will begin work to replace septic tanks and connect sewer lines to 199 properties as residents will be moved from septic to sewer lines.

People living in the Clarks Point neighborhood and along Oak Point Road will be moved from septic to sewer lines by December of 2026.

The total projected cost is about $10.3 million.

“So we’ve been at this since 2020. And that’s when the James Island Water Quality Task Force was created. So the James Island Creek was designated as an impaired waterway and the task force needed to start addressing the issues,” District Manager Dave Schaeffer says.

Director of Land Water Wildlife at the Coastal Conservation League, Riley Egger says septic tanks released decomposed matter that can be detrimental if disease causing bacteria makes its way into waterways.

“Septic tanks along the coastal zone especially can be particularly dangerous knowing that they face certain conditions from sea level rise from groundwater intrusion and just the challenges of living on the coastal zone,” Egger says.

Egger says the James Island grant is a good step in fixing one area that faces problems.

“When we set up septic tanks that are particularly dense right on the waterways, right on our wetlands, we’re really setting up the future to fail,” Egger says. “What we really need to do is consider septic tanks and where we place them more within the planning process and more of our regulations. The best way to prevent a septic tank from failing is before it ever it gets in the ground.”

The homes impacted by the district’s project can expect a letter detailing the plan in the coming months.

The federal money for the project had a deadline to be used by December of 2026. Schaeffer says it will take time to get proper and easements and estimates groundwork will begin toward the end of 2024.

“Obviously we have started already with preliminary engineering and surveying and the easements that are required and the permitting that is required. So that is a years long process,” he says.

Schaeffer says there will be public engagement sessions to answer questions for people who live on properties being connected so their questions will be answered over the course of the years long project.

“This is kind of like 199 mini projects. We have to work with each one of the homeowners as far as where the pump is going to go, where’s the power to be able to have the pump, to be able to get each one of those households on to the sanitary sewer system. It’s kind of an individual project,” Schaeffer explains.

The sewer lines will be laid underground, and a pump will replace each home’s connection to a septic tank.

“We’re the last utility going into these neighborhoods. So there’s already power and there’s already cable and water and things for us to hit. And so instead of trenching, open trenching, we have the technology to be able to bore through so that we’re not tearing up the roads and there’s less disturbance for the community,” Schaeffer says.

Schaeffer thanked the state representatives who lobbied for this money and says the district will continue to work to replace aging septic with lines as they are able in the coming years.

The cost breakdown is as follows:

Upcoming James Island Public Service District Wastewater meetings:

Meetings are located at Fire Station 1 on 1108 Folly Rd.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.